|
Esnoga
Bet Emunah 4544
Highline Dr. SE Olympia,
WA 98501 United
States of America ©
2015 E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com |
|
Esnoga
Bet El 102
Broken Arrow Dr. Paris
TN 38242 United
States of America ©
2015 E-Mail: waltoakley@charter.net |
Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial
Torah Cycle)
|
Three
and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings |
Third Year of the
Triennial Reading Cycle |
|
Tebet
19, 5775 – Jan 09/10, 2015 |
Seventh
Year of the Shmita Cycle |
Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:
|
Amarillo,
TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 5:35 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 6:35 PM |
Austin
& Conroe, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 5:30 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 6:27 PM |
Brisbane,
Australia Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 6:30 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 7:27 PM |
|
Chattanooga,
& Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 5:29 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 6:29 PM |
Everett,
WA. U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 4:18 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 5:29 PM |
Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 5:24 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 6:17 PM |
|
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 5:29 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 6:24 PM |
Murray,
KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 4:37 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 5:38 PM |
Olympia,
WA, U.S. Fri. Jan 09 2015 – Candles at 4:24 PM Sat. Jan 10 2015 – Habdalah 5:34 PM |
|
San Antonio, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 5:35 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 6:32 PM |
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 4:14 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 5:21 PM |
Singapore,
Singapore Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 6:55 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 7:47 PM |
|
St.
Louis, MO, U.S. Fri. Jan 09
2015 – Candles at 4:40 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 5:49 PM |
Tacoma,
WA, U.S. Fri. Jan
09 2015 – Candles at 4:21 PM Sat. Jan
10 2015 – Habdalah 5:31 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
Roll of Honor:
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved
wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved
wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife
HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor
Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved
family
Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Yoel ben Abraham and beloved wife
HE Giberet Rivka bat Dorit
His Excellency Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Gibora bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Ze’ev ben Abraham and beloved wife
HE Giberet Hadassah bat Sarah
Her Excellency Giberet Whitney Mathison
For their regular and
sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s
richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together
with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all
who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly
Torah Seder and allied topics.
If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that
you never lose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to
receive this commentary, please do send me an E-Mail to benhaggai@GMail.com with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your
friends. Toda Rabba!
Shabbat “UMiq’neh Rav” – “And cattle many”
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
וּמִקְנֶה
רַב |
|
|
|
“UMiq’neh Rav” |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 32:1-4 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 33:1-3 |
|
“And cattle many” |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 32:5-15 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 33:4-6 |
|
“Y muchísimo
ganado” |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 32:16-19 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 33:7-9 |
|
B’Midbar (Num.)
32:1-42 |
Reader 4 – B’Midbar 32:20-24 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Josh.
22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27, 29 |
Reader 5 – B’Midbar 32:25-27 |
|
|
Reader 6 – B’Midbar 32:28-32 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 33:1-3 |
|
|
Psalm 106:13-18 |
Reader 7 – B’Midbar 32:33-42 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 33:4-6 |
|
Maftir: B’Midbar 32:40-42 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 33:7-9 |
|
|
N.C.: Mordechai 13:21-23;
Lk 17:22-37; Rom.
7:21-25 |
- Josh.
22:8-12, 21-24,
26-27, 29 |
|
Blessings Before Torah Study
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the
universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commanded us to
actively study Torah. Amen!
Please Ha-Shem, our G-d, sweeten the words of Your
Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our
offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people,
the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your
Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who
teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the
universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are
You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment.
"Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the following Commandment:
This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of
Israel:
May Ha-Shem bless you and
keep watch over you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem make His
Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem bestow favor
on you, and grant you peace. – Amen!
This way, the priests will link My Name with the
Israelites, and I will bless them."
These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate
specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the
field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy
Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple
three times a year; how much one must do when performing acts of kindness; and
there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often
enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World:
They are: Honoring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early
attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing
hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial needs of
a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace
between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as
great as all of them together. Amen!
Contents of the
Torah Seder
·
Tribes Remaining East of the Jordan – Numbers
32:1-42
Reading Assignment:
The Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol
14: Numbers – II – Final Wonderings
By: Rabbi Yitzchaq Magriso
Published by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New
York, 1983)
Vol. 14 – “Numbers – II – Final Wonderings,”
pp. pp. 366-387.
Rashi & Targum
Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’midbar (Numbers) 32:1-42
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
|
1. The descendants of Reuben and Gad had an abundance of livestock very
numerous and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and
behold, the place was a place for livestock. |
1. Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad possessed much cattle,
exceeding much: and they surveyed the land of Mikvar and of Gilead, and,
behold, it was a region suitable for cattle folds. |
|
2. The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben
came, and they spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the kohen and to the princes of
the community, saying, |
2. And the sons of Gad and Reuben came and spoke to
Mosheh, Elazar, and the princes of the congregation, saying: |
|
3. "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon,
Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, |
3. Makelta, Madbeshta, Mikvar, Beth Nimre, Beth
Hoshbane, Maalath Meda, Shiran, Beth Kebureth, de Moshe, and Behon, |
|
4. the land that the Lord struck down before the
congregation of Israel is a land for livestock, and your servants have
livestock." |
4. the land which the LORD has subdued, and whose
inhabitants he has smitten before the congregation of Israel, is a land
suitable for cattle, and your servants have cattle. |
|
5. They said, "If it pleases you, let this land be
given to your servants as a heritage; do not take us across the Jordan." |
5. They said therefore, If we have found grace
before you, let this land be given to your servants for a possession, and let
us not pass over Jordan. |
|
6. [Thereupon,] Moses said to the descendants of Gad
and the descendants of Reuben, "Shall your brethren go to war while you
stay here? |
6. But Mosheh said to the sons of Gad and Reuben, Will
your brethren go to the war, and you sit down here? |
|
7. Why do you discourage the children of Israel from
crossing over to the land which the Lord has given them? |
7. And why should you enfeeble the will of the sons
of Israel from going over to the land which the LORD has given to them? |
|
8. This is what your fathers did when I sent them from
Kadesh barnea to explore the Land. |
8. So did your fathers when I sent them from Rekem Giah
to survey the land: |
|
9. They went up to the Valley of Eshkol and saw the
land, and they discouraged the children of Israel from crossing into the land
which the Lord has given them. |
9. they went up to the brook of Ethkela, and saw the
land, but enfeebled the will of Israel's heart, that they would not enter
into the land which the LORD had given to them. |
|
10. The anger of the Lord flared on that day, and He
swore, saying, |
10. And the anger of the LORD was that day moved, and He
swore, saying |
|
11. 'None of the men from the age of twenty years and
over who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob, for they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, |
11. These men who came out of Mizraim from twenty years
old and upward will not see the land which I covenanted to Abraham, Izhak,
and Jakob, because they have not fully (walked) according to My fear; |
|
12. except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizite
and Joshua the son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' |
12. except Kaleb bar Jephunneh the Kenezite, and
Jehoshua bar Nun, for they have fully (walked) after the fear of the LORD. |
|
13. The anger of the Lord flared against Israel, and He
made them wander in the desert for forty years until the entire generation
who had done evil in the eyes of the Lord had died out. |
13. And the anger of the LORD was moved against Israel,
and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all that
generation which did evil before the LORD was consumed. |
|
14. And behold, you have now risen in place of your
fathers as a society of sinful people, to add to the wrathful anger of the
Lord against Israel. |
14. And, behold, you are risen up after your fathers,
disciples of wicked men, to increase yet the anger of the LORD against
Israel. |
|
15. If you turn away from following Him, He will leave
you in the desert again, and you will destroy this entire people." |
15. For if you go back from fearing Him, He will still
make them abide in the wilderness, and so will you destroy all this people. |
|
16. They approached him and said, "We will build
sheepfolds for our livestock here and cities for our children. |
16. And they drew near to him, and said, We will build
sheepfolds for our flocks, and towns for our families; |
|
17. We will then arm ourselves quickly [and go] before
the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place. Our
children will reside in the fortified cities on account of the inhabitants of
the land. |
17. but we will go armed among the sons of Israel until
we have brought them into their place: but our families will dwell in towns
defended against the inhabitants of the land. |
|
18. We shall not return to our homes until each of the
children of Israel has taken possession of his inheritance. |
18. We will not return to our homes until the sons of
Israel possess everyone his inheritance. |
|
19. For we will not inherit with them on the other side
of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east
bank of the Jordan." |
19. For we will not inherit with them over the Jordan
and beyond; for our inheritance comes to us beyond Jordan eastward. |
|
20. Moses said to them, "If you do this thing, if
you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, |
20. And Mosheh said to them, If you will perform this
thing; if you will go forth armed before the people of the LORD to the war, |
|
21. and your armed force crosses the Jordan before the
Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him, |
21. if some of you armed will pass over Jordan before
the LORD's people to go on with the war until He has driven out the enemy
before Him, |
|
22. and the Land will be conquered before the Lord,
afterwards you may return, and you shall be freed [of your obligation] from
the Lord and from Israel, and this land will become your heritage before the
Lord. |
22. and the land be subdued before the people of the
LORD, then afterwards you will return, and be acquitted before the LORD and
by Israel; and this land will be yours for an inheritance before the LORD. |
|
23. But, if you do not do so, behold, you will have
sinned against the Lord, and be aware of your sin which will find you. |
23. But if you will not perform this, behold, you will
have sinned before the LORD your God, and know that your sin will meet you. |
|
24. So build yourselves cities for your children and
enclosures for your sheep, and what has proceeded from your mouth you shall
do." |
24. Build (then) cities for your little ones and folds
for your sheep, and do that which has proceeded from your mouth. |
|
25. The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben
spoke to Moses, saying, "Your servants will do as my master
commands. |
25. And the sons of Gad and Reuben spoke to Mosheh with
one consent, saying, Your servants will do whatever my lord has
commanded: |
|
26. Our children and our wives, our livestock and our
cattle will remain there, in the cities of Gilead. |
26. our children, wives, flocks, and all our cattle will
be here in the cities of Gilead; |
|
27. But your servants will cross over all who are armed
for combat before the Lord, for the battle, as my master has spoken." |
27. but your servants will go over, every one armed for
the host, before the people of the LORD to the war, as my lord has said. |
|
28. Moses commanded Eleazar the kohen and Joshua the son
of Nun and all the paternal heads of the tribes of the children of Israel
concerning them. |
28. And Mosheh commanded concerning them Elazar the
priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun, and the heads of the tribes of the Bene
Yisrael, |
|
29. Moses said to them, "If the descendants of Gad
and Reuben cross the Jordan with you before the Lord, and the Land is
conquered before you, you shall give them the land of Gilead as a heritage. |
29. and said to them: If the sons of Gad and of Reuben
go over the Jordan with you, every one armed for the war, before the people
of the LORD, and the land be subdued before you, then will you give to them
the land of Gilead for a possession. |
|
30, But if they do not cross over with you armed [for
battle], they shall receive a possession among you in the land of
Canaan." |
30. But if they will not pass over armed with you, then
they will receive an inheritance among you in the land of Kenaan. |
|
31. The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben
answered, saying, "We shall do as the Lord has spoken to your
servants. |
31. But the sons of Gad and Reuben answered and said: Whatsoever
the LORD has spoken to your servants so will we do. |
|
32. We shall cross over in an armed force before the
Lord to the land of Canaan, and then we shall have the possession of our
inheritance on this side of the Jordan." |
32. We will go over armed before the LORD's people into
the land of Kenaan, that our inheritance may be on this side the Jordan. |
|
33. Moses gave the descendants of Gad and the
descendants of Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the
kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan
the land together with its cities within borders, the cities of the
surrounding territory. |
33. And Mosheh gave to them, the sons of Gad and of
Reuben, and to the half tribe of Menasheh bar Joseph, the kingdom. of Sihon
king of the Amoraee, and the kingdom of Og king of Mathnan, the land with its
cities by the limits of the cities of the land round about. |
|
34. The descendants of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, and
Aroer. |
34. And the sons of Gad built (rebuilt) Madbashta and
Maklalta and Lechaiath, |
|
35. And Atroth Shophan, Jazer, and Jogbehah. |
35. and Maklelath, Shophena, and Mikvar Geramatha, |
|
36. And Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities and
sheepfolds. |
36. and the strong city of Beth Nimrin, and Beth Haran,
fenced cities (with) folds for sheep. |
|
37. The descendants of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh,
and Kirjathaim. |
37. And the sons of Reuben built (rebuilt) Beth Heshbon
and Mahalath Mera, and the city of the two streets paved with marble which is
Beresha, |
|
38. And Nebo and Baal Meon, their names having been
changed, and Sibmah. |
38. and the place of the sepulchre of Mosheh, and
(rebuilt) the city of Balak, destroying out of it the idol of Peor, in the
house of his high places, and the city whose walls surrounded it, inscribed
with the names of his heroes, and Shiran. And after they had built them they
called their names after the names of the men who had built them. |
|
39. The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to
Gilead and conquered it, driving out the Amorites who were there. |
39. And the sons of Makir bar Menasheh went to Gilead
and subdued it, and drove out the Amoraee who were therein. |
|
40. Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and
he settled in it. |
40. And Mosheh gave Gilead to Makir bar Menasheh, and he
dwelt in it. |
|
41. Jair the son of Manasseh went and conquered their
hamlets, and called them the hamlets of Jair. |
41. And Jair bar Menasheh went and subdued their
villages, and called them the villages of Jair. |
|
42. Nobah went and conquered Kenath and its surrounding
villages, and called it Nobah, after his name. |
42. And Nobach went and subdued Kenath and its villages,
and called it Nobach, after his own name. |
|
|
|
Welcome to the World of P’shat
Exegesis
In order to understand
the finished work of the P’shat mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs
to take into account that the P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical
output, whereby a question/s is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using
the seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew
Grammar and Hebrew expression.
The Seven Hermeneutic
Laws of R. Hillel are as follows
[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:
1. Ḳal va-ḥomer: "Argumentum a
minori ad majus" or "a majori ad minus"; corresponding to the
scholastic proof a fortiori.
2. Gezerah shavah: Argument from
analogy. Biblical passages containing synonyms or homonyms are subject, however
much they differ in other respects, to identical definitions and applications.
3. Binyan ab mi-katub
eḥad:
Application of a provision found in one passage only to passages which are
related to the first in content but do not contain the provision in question.
4. Binyan ab mi-shene
ketubim:
The same as the preceding, except that the provision is generalized from two
Biblical passages.
5. Kelal u-Peraṭ
and Peraṭ u-kelal:
Definition of the general by the particular, and of the particular by the
general.
6. Ka-yoẓe bo
mi-maḳom aḥer:
Similarity in content to another Scriptural passage.
7. Dabar ha-lamed
me-'inyano:
Interpretation deduced from the context.
Rashi’s Commentary
on: B’midbar (Numbers) 32:1-42
3 Ataroth, Dibon... They were [part] of the land belonging to Sihon and Og.
6 Shall your brethren This [’hey’] denotes a question.
7 Why do you discourage You turn aside and dissuade their hearts from
crossing, for they will think that you are afraid to cross because of the war
and the strength of the cities and the people.
8 from Kadesh-barnea This was its name; there were two places called Kadesh [one
Kadesh-barnea and one Kadesh unmodified].
12 The Kenizite He [Caleb] was the stepson of Kenaz, to whom Caleb’s mother bore
Othniel [see Jud. 3:9].-[Sotah 11b]
13 He made them wander He moved them about from place to place, as in נָע
וָנָד “a wanderer and an exile” (Gen. 4:12).
14 to add - לִסְפּוֹת like “add (סְפוּ) year to year” (Isa.
29:1), and “add (סְפוּ) your burnt offerings”
(Jer. 7:21); it denotes addition.
16 We shall build sheepfolds for our livestock here They were more concerned about their possessions than
about their sons and daughters, since they mentioned their livestock before
[mentioning] their children. Moses said to them, “Not so! Treat the fundamental
as a fundamental, and the matter of secondary importance as a matter of
secondary importance. First ‘build cities for your children,’ and afterwards
'enclosures for your sheep’” (verse 24) -[Mid. Tanchuma Mattoth 7]
17 We will then arm ourselves quickly We will speedily arm ourselves, as in, “the booty
speeds, the spoil hastens (חָשׁ) ” (Isa. 8: 3); “Let Him hurry,
let Him hasten (יָחִישָׁה) ” (ibid. 5:19).
before the children of Israel At the head of the troops, because they were mighty
warriors, for concerning Gad it says, “tearing the arm [of his prey, together]
with the head” (Deut. 33:20). Moses too, explained this to them a second time
in [the portion of] Eleh Hadevarim ; “And I commanded you at that time saying,
"... pass over, armed, before your brothers, the children of Israel, all
who are warriors” (ibid. 3:18), and concerning Jericho it is written, “the
armed force went ahead of them” (Josh. 6:13). These were [the tribes of] Gad
and Reuben, who were fulfilling their condition.
Our children will reside while we are still with our brethren.
in the fortified cities which we shall build now.
19 on the other side of the Jordan and beyond On the western bank.
for our inheritance has come to us We have already received it on the eastern side.
24 for your sheep Heb. לְצֽנַאֲכֶם . This word is cognate with,
“Flocks (צֽנֶה) and cattle, all of
them” (Ps. 8:8), in which there is no א separating the נ from the צ .
The א that appears here
after the נ [in the word לְצֽנַאֲכֶם is in place of the ה in the word צֽנֶה . I learned this from the
commentary of R. Moshe Hadarshan [the preacher].
and what has proceeded from your mouth you shall do for the sake of the Most High [God], for you have
undertaken to cross over for battle until [the completion of] conquest and the
apportionment [of the Land]. Moses had asked of them only “and... will be
conquered before the Lord, afterwards you may return,” (verse 22), but they
undertook, “until... has taken possession” (verse 18). Thus, they added that
they would remain seven years while it was divided, and indeed they did so (see
Josh. 22).
25 The descendants of Gad spoke Heb. וַיּֽאמֶר [in the singular form, indicating
that] they all [spoke] as one person.-[Jonathan ben Uzziel]
28 commanded… concerning them Heb. לָהֶם , like עֲלֵיהֶם , concerning them, and concerning
[the fulfillment of] their condition, he appointed Eleazar and Joshua, as in,
“the Lord will fight for you (לָכֶם) ” (Exod. 14:14) [not “to you”].
32 and then we shall have the possession of our
inheritance That is to say, the
possession of our inheritance on this side [of the Jordan] will be in our hands
and under our ownership.
36 fortified cities and sheepfolds This last part of the verse relates to the beginning
of the passage, “The descendants of Gad built” these cities as fortified cities
and sheepfolds.
38 Nebo and Baal-Meon, their names having been changed Nebo and Baal Meon
were names of pagan deities, and the Amorites named their towns after their
deities, and the descendants of Reuben changed their names to other names. This
is the meaning of "their names having been changed"—Nebo and
Baal-Meon, changed to another name.
and Sibmah They built Sibmah,
which is identical with Sebam mentioned earlier (verse 3).
39 driving out As the Targum [Onkelos] renders, וְתָרִיךְ , and drove out, for the word רִישׁ can be used in two
[different] ways, in the sense of יְרוּשָׁה , ‘inheritance,’ or in the sense
of הוֹרָשָׁה ‘driving out,’ meaning to expel
or oust.-[Machbereth Menachem p. 167]
41 their hamlets Heb. חַוֹתֵיהֶם , [Onkelos renders,] כַּפְרָנֵיהוֹן , their hamlets.
and called them the hamlets of Jair Since he had no children, he named them after himself,
as a memorial.
42 and called it Nobah Heb. לָה .
[The ‘hey’ in] לָה is not a ‘mappik’
[aspirate ‘hey’ since there is no dot in the] ה [thus
indicating that it is silent, contrary to the general rule]. I saw in the
commentary of R. Moshe Hadarshan [as follows]: Since this name did not remain
permanently, it is [a] silent [letter], so that it [the word לָה ] can be expounded as לֹא , ‘not.’ But I wonder how he
would expound two words similar to this, namely, “Boaz said to her (לָה) ” (Ruth 2:14); “to build her (לָה) a house” (Zech. 5:11).
Ketubim: Psalm 106:13-18
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. Hallelujah. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
for His kindness is forever. |
1. Hallelujah! Give thanks in the presence of the
LORD, for He is good, for His goodness is forever. |
|
2. Who can narrate the mighty deeds of the Lord? [Who]
can make heard all His praise? |
2. Who is able to utter the might of the LORD? Who is
allowed to proclaim all His praises? |
|
3. Fortunate are those who keep justice, who perform
righteousness at all times. |
3. Happy are they who observe judgment, those who do
righteousness/generosity at every time. |
|
4. Remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people; be mindful
of me with Your salvation. |
4. Remember me, O LORD, with good will toward Your
people; call me to mind with Your redemption (Hebrew: פָּקְדֵנִי, בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ – Paq’deni BiShuatekha –
lit. “appoint me to Your Yeshua (salvation)”. |
|
5. To see the goodness of Your chosen ones, to rejoice
with the joy of Your nation, to boast with Your inheritance. |
5. To look on the plenty of Your chosen ones; to
rejoice in the joy of Your people; to join in praise with Your inheritance. |
|
6. We sinned with our forefathers; we committed
iniquity and wickedness. |
6. We have sinned, along with our fathers; we have
committed iniquity, acted wickedly. |
|
7. Our forefathers in Egypt did not understand Your
wonders; they did not remember Your manifold deeds of kindness, and they were
rebellious by the sea, by the Sea of Reeds. |
7. Our fathers in Egypt paid no heed to Your wonders;
they did not call to mind Your great goodness; and they rebelled against Your
word by the sea, at the sea of Reeds. |
|
8. And He saved them for His name's sake, to make known
His might. |
8. And He redeemed them for His name's sake, to make
known His might. |
|
9. And He rebuked the Sea of Reeds, and it dried up,
and He led them in the depths as [in] a desert. |
9. And He rebuked the sea of Reeds, and it dried up; and
He conducted them through the deeps, as in the wilderness. |
|
10. He saved them from the hand of the enemy, and He
redeemed them from the hand of the foe. |
10. And He redeemed them from the power of the foe; and
He redeemed them from the power of the enemies. |
|
11. And the water covered their adversaries; not one of
them survived. |
11. And the waters covered their oppressors; not one of
them was left. |
|
12. And they believed His words; they sang His praise. |
12. And they believed in the name of His word; they sang
His praise. |
|
13. Quickly, they
forgot His deeds; they did not await His
counsel. |
13. They quickly
forgot His deeds; they did not wait for His
counsel. |
|
14. They craved a
lust in the desert, and they tried God
in the wasteland. |
14. And they made
a request and tested God in the place of
desolation. |
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15. He gave them their request, but He sent emaciation
into their soul. |
15. And He gave them their request, and sent leanness
into their souls. |
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16. They angered Moses in the camp, Aaron, the holy man
of the Lord. |
16. And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, of
Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. |
|
17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan and covered the
congregation of Abiram. |
17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and covered the
company of Abiram. |
|
18. And fire burned in their congregation; a flame burned the
wicked. |
18. And fire burned in their company; flame will kindle the
wicked. |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalm 106:13-18
13 they did not await His counsel They did not hope for Him.
14 They
craved a lust (Num. 11:4) “Who will
give us meat to eat?”
15 but He sent emaciation into their soul (Num. 11:33) “and the Lord’s wrath was kindled against
the people.”
16 They angered Moses Heb. ויקנאו . In the desert they angered him, like (Deut.
32:21): “They angered Me (קנאוני) with a no-god.” I found
this.
17 The earth opened up, etc. It appears that [the Psalmist] bestowed honor upon
the sons of Korah [by refraining] from mentioning their father. He attributed
the sin to Dathan and Abiram.
18 And fire burned (Num. 16:35) “and
consumed the two hundred and fifty men who burnt the incense.”
Meditation from the Psalms
Psalms 106:13-18
By:
H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David
For continuity I am
repeating my intro from last week.
The preceding
composition, Psalms 105, described the extensive wonders with which God
mercifully redeemed our forefathers from Egypt. This psalm resumes the
narrative and relates how God miraculously sustained the Jews as they wandered
in the wilderness for forty years. Then HaShem led the Israelites into the land
of Canaan and empowered them to conquer their adversaries despite overwhelming
odds. Throughout these great historic periods, HaShem repeatedly performed so
many wonders that the Psalmist exclaims (verse 2), who can express the mighty acts of HaShem? Who can declare all of
His praise?[1]
However, even while God
was displaying unprecedented kindness to Israel, the Israelites were negligent
in their duties toward God, and they failed to appreciate His wonders. Indeed,
they defied God’s representative, Moshe, and rebelled against his commands.
This defiance initiated the spiritual and moral decline which eventually led to
the Jew’s exile from the Holy Land.[2]
The Psalmist completes
his description of Israel’s infidelity and exile with a prayer for redemption
(verse 47), Save us HaShem, our God, and gather us from
among the peoples, to thank Your Holy Name and to glory in Your praise!
This psalm concludes the fourth Book of Tehillim with the declaration, blessed is HaShem, the God of
Israel, from This World to the World to Come, and let the entire nation say,
“Amen!” Praise God![3]
Last
Shabbat David spoke about the plagues and the redemption it brought. This week
we descend from the high praise we sang at the shore of the far end of the Reed
Sea to utter forgetfulness of those great miracles. This Shabbat we see the
beginnings of the consequences that HaShem brought about as we “waited not for
His counsel”.[4] Our
verbal tally is found in the following pasuk:
Tehillim (Psalms)
106:17 The earth (ארץ)[5]
opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. 18 And a fire was kindled in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.[6]
After his unsuccessful talk with Qorach,
Moshe sent for Dathan and Abiram, ringleaders of the rebellion among the
non-Levites. However, they replied with their usual arrogance:[7]
""We will not go up. Is it not enough that you have brought us out of
a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, that you should
also exercise authority over us? “Moshe was deeply hurt by this venomous attack
upon his leadership, and he prayed to G-d to expose the wickedness of these
people before the entire congregation of Israel.
The next morning Qorach's associates
appeared before the Tabernacle with censers, as Moshe had told them to do. With
them came the entire community whom Qorach had called to witness the
proceedings. Then G-d told Moshe to order the children of Israel to separate
themselves from Qorach and his associates, and everything that belonged to
them, for fear that they share the rebels' fate. Again Moshe and the Elders
approached Dathan and Abiram in a last minute effort to induce them to repent
of their sin. However, it was in vain, and Moshe ordered the rest of the people
to depart from the tents of Dathan and Abiram. The people obeyed. Dathan and
Abiram and their families stood in front of their tents, and in a defiant mood
continued to abuse Moshe.
Gravely, Moshe told the children of Israel:[8]
"With this you shall know that HaShem sent me to do all these deeds, for I
did not devise them myself. If these men die as all men die and the fate of all
men will be visited upon them, then the Lord has not sent me. But if HaShem
creates a creation, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all
that is theirs, and they descend alive into the grave, you will know that these
men have provoked HaShem." Hardly had Moshe finished speaking, when the
earth cleft asunder, and swallowed Qorach and his associates with their
families and belongings. They were buried alive and perished by a terrible
death that made the people who stood nearby flee in terror. The next instant a
fire from heaven devoured the 250 men who had dared to contest Aaron's priestly
authority by offering incense.
This is the scene that our psalm wishes to
elicit.
Our psalm juxtaposes
the judgment of Dathan and Abiram with the effects of the earth opening up and
a fire that destroyed those in their company. In this study I would like to
learn about fire as it is used and
applied in the Torah. HaShem’s word teaches us a great deal about fire. It is
used in sacrifices, in the judgment of the wicked, and in the vindication of
the righteous. Fire is the means by which HaShem will renew the earth (the renewed earth). Fire is often
used to describe Divine revelation. This will help us to understand why fire is
present when HaShem, His Torah, and His Mashiach are communicating. As we
explore this idea, we need to note that there are underlying reasons why fire
is used as opposed to some other medium, for Divine communication. To begin
this study we need to understand what the Torah teaches about HaShem and fire.
In the process we will discover something interesting about the meaning of the
fire that consumed the followers of Qorach. See if you can ‘see’ this
interesting aspect of fire.
Our sages have a
general rule: In order to ascertain a word’s
importance one must retreat to its first
appearance in the Torah
and examine it in its original context. The context of the first use of a word in the Torah gives us the word’s essential
meaning. The first use of aish - אש,
the Hebrew word for fire is found in:
Beresheet (Genesis) 15:17 And it came to pass,
that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning
(aish) lamp that passed
between those pieces. 18 In the same day HaShem made a covenant with Abram,
saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the
great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the
Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And
the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
This first use of the
Hebrew word for fire (aish אש)
teaches us that its essence is related to HaShem, who used the fire to
communicate His presence and His desire to make a unilateral covenant with
Avraham. The Torah indicates that, not only does fire represent HaShem, but
that in some way HaShem is fire:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:24 For HaShem thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Bereans (Hebrews) 12:29 For our God is a
consuming fire.
Throughout the
scriptures we will find that HaShem is fire.
He is not spirit (air), He is not dust (man), and He is not water (Torah).
HaShem is FIRE! The bottom line: HaShem is a consuming fire!
HaShem used a different
kind of fire to represent His presence when He spoke to Moshe:
Shemot (Exodus) 3:1-3 Now Moshe was tending
the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the
flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of HaShem appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.
Moshe saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moshe
thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn
up.”
HaShem appears to Moshe
in the midst of fire! HaShem used the fire to communicate His presence and to
attract Moshe’s attention. Notice that as HaShem meets the righteous/generous
that the flame does not consume. This same phenomenon of fire that does not
consume happened every day for forty years, to drive home a similar lesson to
the Bne Yisrael:
Shemot (Exodus) 13:21 And HaShem went before
them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a
pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
In this unusual display
HaShem is relating to the day as a cloud and to the night as fire.
In this next passage
HaShem is going to again appear as fire coming down on Mount Sinai:
Shemot (Exodus) 19:14-18 After Moshe had gone
down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their
clothes. Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day.
Abstain from sexual relations.” On the morning of the third day there was
thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud
trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moshe led the people out of
the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount
Sinai was covered with smoke, because HaShem descended on it in fire. The smoke
billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled
violently,
When HaShem spoke out
of the fire it was literally “face to face”:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:2-5 HaShem our God made a
covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our fathers that HaShem made this
covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. HaShem spoke to
you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. (At that time I stood between
HaShem and you to declare to you the word of HaShem, because you were afraid of
the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:
This appearance of
HaShem was unusual in that HaShem’s people saw HaShem as fire and lived!
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:31-36 For HaShem your God is
a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with
your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Ask now about the former
days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask
from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever
happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people
heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has
any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by
testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an
outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things HaShem
your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these
things so that you might know that HaShem is God; besides him there is no
other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he
showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.
HaShem’s presence over
the Tabernacle was like a cloud by day and like fire in the cloud by night:
Shemot (Exodus) 40:34-38 Then the cloud covered
the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the tabernacle. Moshe could
not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the
glory of HaShem filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites,
whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; But if
the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. So the
cloud of HaShem was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by
night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.
HaShem demonstrated His
presence when he kept the menorah burning for eight days during the Maccabee’s
Chanukah. This same kind of miracle was evident in the burning of the western
lamp of the menorah, during Temple times.
Menachoth 86b Without the veil of
the testimony in the tent of meeting. It is a testimony to mankind that the
Divine Presence rests in Israel. For how can you say He is in need of light,
when the whole of the forty years that the Israelites travelled in the
wilderness they travelled only by His light! But it is a testimony to mankind
that the Divine Presence rests in Israel. What is the testimony? Rab said, It
was the western lamp [of the candlestick] into which the same quantity of oil
was poured as into the others, yet he kindled the others from it and ended with
it.
The Gemara tells us
that when HaShem was pleased with the actions of His nation, one of the seven
lamps of the Menorah would miraculously burn for twenty-four hours, instead of
the normal twelve hours, in order to demonstrate that HaShem’s Divine Presence
dwelled among His people. The fire
of the Menorah would make clear to all that the figurative “fire of HaShem” rested with His
people. Similarly, the incessant burning of the Menorah after the victory
against the Greeks was meant to demonstrate that HaShem’s presence, that dwellt
with the Jews, brought about the victory.
In this next passage
two righteous men got a little too close to HaShem.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 9:22 - 10:2 Then Aaron lifted his
hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin
offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.
Moshe and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they
blessed the people; and the glory of HaShem appeared to all the people. Fire
came out from the presence of HaShem and consumed the burnt offering and the
fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy
and fell facedown. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in
them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before HaShem,
contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of HaShem and
consumed them, and they died before HaShem.
Nadab and Abihu were
consumed by a fire that entered through the nose. Since the soul entered the
body through the nose. Thus Nadab’s and Abihu’s souls were burned and their
bodies were left perfectly intact. HaShem
is fire and one who brings his soul closer than it can handle gets
devoured by this mighty blaze.
Here we again see the
consuming fire:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 11:1-3 Now the people
complained about their hardships in the hearing of HaShem, and when he heard
them his anger was aroused. Then fire from HaShem burned among them and
consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moshe,
he prayed to HaShem and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah,
because fire from HaShem had burned among them.
The ones on the
outskirts of the camp are those who are weak in their relationship with HaShem
and deficient in their study of Torah. They were righteous men who were prone
to question the judgments of HaShem.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 16:28-35 Then Moshe said, “This
is how you will know that HaShem has sent me to do all these things and that it
was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and experience only what
usually happens to men, then HaShem has not sent me. But if HaShem brings about
something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with
everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then
you will know that these men have treated HaShem with contempt.” As soon as he
finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart And the earth
opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Qorach’s men
and all their possessions. They went down alive into the grave, with everything
they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from
the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting,
“The earth is going to swallow us too!” And fire came out from HaShem
and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
HaShem will consume
with fire those who transgress, while protecting the righteous/generous from
the destructive part:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 9:1-5 Hear, O Israel. You
are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and
stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. The people
are strong and tall--Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who
can stand up against the Anakites?” But be assured today that HaShem your God
is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy
them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and
annihilate them quickly, as HaShem has promised you. After HaShem your God has
driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “HaShem has brought me here
to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on
account of the wickedness of these nations that HaShem is going to drive them
out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that
you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the
wickedness of these nations, HaShem your God will drive them out before you, to
accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The anger of HaShem was
also manifested in the fire that consumed those who would molest His Prophet.
II Melachim (Kings) 1:9-15 Then he sent to Elijah
a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was
sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says,
‘Come down!’” Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come
down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from
heaven and consumed the captain and his men. At this the king sent to Elijah
another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this
is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’” “If I am a man of God,” Elijah
replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!”
Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. So
the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up
and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have
respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire
has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their
men. But now have respect for my life!” The angel of HaShem said to Elijah, “Go
down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with
him to the king.
The Torah is Mashiach and are
like fire
The Torah is like fire, as it is written:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 33:2 And he said, HaShem
came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount
Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a
fiery law for them.
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 23:29 Is not My word like fire.
Ta’anith 7a Rabbah b. Hanah said:
Why are the words of the Torah likened to fire, as it is said, Is not my word
like as fire? saith the Lord?[9] This is to teach you that just as fire does
not ignite of itself so too the words of the Torah do not endure with him who
studies alone.
Just as it is
impossible to grasp fire without
garments, so is the Torah called
fire, that one cannot take hold
of it without a vessel. Therefore it needed to be clothed in garments and
vessels. The Mechilta[10] further expounds that because HaShem descended
on Sinai in fire:
Shemot (Exodus) 19:18 And mount Sinai was
altogether on a smoke, because HaShem descended upon it in fire: and the smoke
thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
This teaches us that
the Torah is fire and from fire
it was given, and was compared to fire. Like fire, if a person comes close to
it, he is burned; if he goes far from it, he is cold; but rather one should
warm himself near its brightness. The Midrash also equates Torah to fire:
Midrash Rabbah - Deuteronomy III:12 Resh Lakish said: When
Moshe wrote the law he acquired a lustrous appearance. How [did this come
about]? Resh Lakish said: The scroll that was given to Moshe was made of a
parchment of white fire, and was written upon with black fire and sealed with
fire and was swathed with bands of fire, and whilst he was writing it he dried
his pen on his hair, and as a result he acquired a lustrous appearance.
Midrash Tanchuma, Genesis 1 The Torah is written “black fire on white fire.”
The Zohar echoes this
understanding:
Soncino Zohar, Shemot, Section 2, Page 84a Said R. Hiya: ‘When the letters were engraved upon the two tablets of
stone they were visible on both sides of the tablets. The tablets were of
sapphire stone, and the letters were formed of white fire and covered again
with black fire, and were engraved upon both sides.’
Keep in mind that the
Midrash and Zohar are not to be taken literally. Chazal have suggested several
allusions for the black and white fire. One idea is that the black fire is the
written Torah and the white fire is the oral Torah.
Mashiach’s appearance
is like fire:
Yehezekel (Ezekiel) 1:25-28 Then there came a
voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire,
and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from
what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of
fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light
surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day,
so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the
glory of HaShem. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one
speaking.
Fire from heaven
(HaShem sent the fire from the rock) that consumes the offering on the altar is
a recurring act in the Torah. It is first displayed in the days of the Judges
when Gideon sought the presence of HaShem and requested Divine communication.
Shoftim (Judges) 6:17-24 Gideon replied, “If
now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you
talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering
and set it before you.” And HaShem said, “I will wait until you return.” Gideon
went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread
without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought
them out and offered them to him under the oak. The angel of God said to him,
“Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out
the broth.” And Gideon did so. With the tip of the staff that was in his hand,
the angel of HaShem touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from
the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of HaShem
disappeared. When Gideon realized that it was the angel of HaShem, he
exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign HaShem! I have seen the angel of HaShem face to
face!” But HaShem said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to
die.” So Gideon built an altar to HaShem there and called it HaShem is Peace.
To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
When Elijah confronted
the priests of Baal, he requested that HaShem manifest His presence and
communicate this presence to those who were seeking strange gods. HaShem
answered Elijah with fire from heaven:
I Melachim (Kings) 18:36-39 At the time of
sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “HaShem, God of
Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and
that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer
me, HaShem, answer me, so these people will know that you, HaShem, are God, and
that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of HaShem fell and
burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up
the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and
cried, “HaShem--he is God! HaShem--he is God!”
When Moshe finished
erecting the Mishkan, fire came from heaven and consumed the offering, and lit
the fire of the altar:
Vayikra (Leviticus)
9:23-24 And Moshe and Aaron
went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the
people: and the glory of HaShem appeared unto all the people. 24 And there came a fire out from before HaShem,
and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they
shouted, and fell on their faces.
On the site where King
Solomon would build David’s Temple, fire from heaven was manifested even before
the Temple was built.
I Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) 21:22-27 David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I
can build an altar to HaShem, that the plague on the people may be stopped.
Sell it to me at the full price.” Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord
the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt
offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain
offering. I will give all this.” But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I
insist on paying the full price. I will not take for HaShem what is yours, or
sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” So David paid Araunah six
hundred shekels of gold for the site. David built an altar to HaShem there and
sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on HaShem, and
HaShem answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then
HaShem spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
When King Solomon
finished constructing King David’s Temple, HaShem demonstrated His presence and
pleasure by consuming the offering with fire from heaven.
II Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) 7:1-3 When Solomon finished
praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the
sacrifices, and the glory of HaShem filled the temple. The priests could not
enter the temple of HaShem because the glory of HaShem filled it. When all the
Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of HaShem above the temple,
they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshipped
and gave thanks to HaShem, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”
There is an important
component in the story of King Solomon, the fire from heaven, and Shemini
Atzeret. When the people saw that the gates were open, and the fire came down from heaven to consume, the first time,
everything which was placed on the altar,
they were filled with an extreme Simcha, joy, and they bowed, and prostrated on
the floor of the Holy Temple, and sung, for the first time ever in the
Tanach, the Hallel of David “Ki Leolam Chasdo”. Then they
stood up, and the music instruments which David had made were playing, and they
sang again the Hallel of David “Ki Leolam Chasdo”. This time not
prostrating but standing. And here we encounter a new type of the Hallel. It is
not said after a miracle of saving from the hands of the enemies, not as a
Hallel which accompanies a mitzva, not as a song for the holiday, but as a
thanksgiving song. For the general goodness of all the good which HaShem has
done to Israel and to David. Moreover, that type of the Hallel was said while
prostrated, and then while standing. Hence, the only Hallel which is
equal to the Song of the day, where they prostrated themselves on the floor of
the holy Temple, was on Shemini Atzeret. So Shemini Atzeret is the birthday of the Fire from heaven on the altar, which burned,
without interruption, for four hundred years.
This fire from heaven
was also evident during the time of the Maccabees. After they cleansed the
Temple, rebuilt the altar, and kindled the menorah, HaShem again communicated
His presence and His pleasure with fire from heaven. In the book of Maccabees
we read as follows:
II Maccabees 2:1 “And
now that our hearts desire to celebrate the day of the rededication of the altar ... you shall celebrate it, like
the day upon which Nehemiah found the holy fire when he returned to build the Temple ... For when our fathers
were exiled, the holy Kohanim secretly took the fire and hid it ... and it came to pass after many days that the
king sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem ... they could not find the fire, and found only freezing water
instead ... and it happened that when they offered God’s sacrifice, he
commanded them to sprinkle some of the water on the wood and on the sacrifice
which was upon the altar, and
they did so. When they had finished, and the sun shone upon the earth and the
clouds were scattered, behold a heavenly fire ignited the sacrifice, and the entire nation surrounding it
was astonished, and the Kohanim and all the nation fell upon their faces ...
and the Kohanim sang praise and thanks to God.”
In all of the above
cases, the significance of the miracle is that it bears testimony to the fact
that the Shechinah dwells amongst Israel. The necessity of the sign comes about
as a result of the nature of the Divine Presence in general.
The final place where
we see fire from heaven is in the destruction of the wicked at the battle of
Har Megiddo.
Revelation 20:7-9 And when the thousand
years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which
are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together
to battle: the number of whom is
as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went
up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and
the beloved city: and
fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Our Torah portion speaks of a
mini-rebellion of the tribes of Reuben and Gad as they negotiate with Moshe for
land on the east side of the Jordan river. In contrast to the defiant rebellion
of Dathan and Abiram, the tribes of Reuben and Gad agreed to do things Moshe’s
way. Even though they had their priorities wrong,[11]
their hearts were turned towards Moshe and his request. Additionally, their
attitude provides a contrast with the rebellion of the people in the incident
of the spies.
The bi-modal aspects of our Torah reading
reveal that we also read our Torah portion, Bamidbar 32, on the Shabbat closest
to Tisha B’Ab. Now Tisha B’Ab is when the sin of the spies took place. Thus we
are not surprised that Moshe, in our Torah portion, brings up the sin of the
spies as a warning to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. King David, mindful that
these two events are connected, then connects these two events with the
rebellion of Dathan and Abiram in our psalm portion. So, what is the ‘inner’
aspect that connects these three rebellions?
Moshe has two objections, one factual, the
other psychological. He objects to the idea of separation from the main larger
community, and he objects to the ramifications of such a separation. The very
thought that part of the nation will remain behind is outrageous to him.
Furthermore, Moshe recognizes that such a separation would ultimately run
counter to their collective dream of returning to the land promised to Avraham,
Yitzchak, and Yaaqob. Moshe's comparison of their request to the behavior of
the spies is a stinging rebuke: the dissident spies of the previous generation
rejected the Land of Israel, and preferred to remain outside her boundaries.
That episode was disastrous for the Israelites, bringing upon them 39 years of
wandering in the desert. In this light, the first statement of Moshe's response
to their request is not merely a factual rejoinder; it belies Moshe's moral
outrage. "How can you remain behind in comfort while you brothers
battle?" Moshe accuses. Such a position is in dissonance with Jewish
ideals and law.[12]
This was also the sin of Dathan and Abiram who refused to go up with Moshe to
be a part of the collective judgment. Their refusal to acknowledge Moshe’s
authority was met with a judgment of fire. Can you see now the interesting
‘inner’ meaning of this fiery judgment?
Ashlamatah: Yehoshua 22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27, 29
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
7. ¶ And to the half-
tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given [inheritance] in Bashan, but to the other
half Joshua gave among their brothers on this side of the Jordan westward.
And also, when Joshua dismissed them to their dwellings, he blessed them. |
7. ¶ And to
the half tribe of Manasseh Moses gave in Matnan; and to half of them Joshua
gave with their brothers on the side of the Jordan to the west. And also when
Joshua sent them to their cities and blessed them, |
|
8. And he
said to them, saying, "Return with much wealth to your dwellings, and with very much cattle,
with silver, and with gold, and with copper, and with iron, and with very
many garments; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers." {P} |
8. he said to
them, saying: “With many
possessions return to your cities, and with very much cattle,
with silver and with gold and with bronze and with iron and with very many
clothes; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” {P} |
|
9. ¶ And the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh
returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in
the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their
possession, of which they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord
through Moses. |
9. ¶ And the
sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh turned and
went from the sons of Israel, from Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to
go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their inheritance that they
inherited in it, according to the Memra of the LORD by the hand of Moses. |
|
10. And they
came to the regions of the Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, and the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh
built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to look upon. |
10. And they
came to the districts of the Jordan that are in the land of Canaan, and the
sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built an
altar there upon the Jordan, an altar great to see. |
|
11. And the
children of Israel heard say, "Behold, the children of Reuben and the
children of Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over
against the land of Canaan, in the regions of the Jordan, at the side of the
children of Israel." |
11. And the
sons of Israel heard, saying: “Behold the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad
and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the land of
Canaan in the districts of the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the sons
of Israel.” |
|
12. And when
the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of
Israel assembled at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. {P} |
12. And the
sons of Israel heard, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel gathered
to Shiloh to go up against them as an army. {P} |
|
13. And the
children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of
Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the
son of Eleazar the priest. |
13. And the
sons of Israel sent unto the sons of Reuben and unto the sons of Gad and to
the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of
Eleazar the priest, |
|
14. And with
him ten princes, one prince of a father's house for each of the tribes of
Israel; and they were each one the head of the house of their fathers, among
the thousands of Israel. |
14. and ten
chiefs with him, each one a chief for a family for all the tribes of Israel,
and everyone the head of their families for the clans of Israel. |
|
15. And they
came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the
hatf-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them,
saying. |
15. And they
came unto the sons of Reuben and unto the sons of Gad and unto the half tribe
of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying: |
|
16. "Thus
said the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What treachery is this that you
have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from
following the Lord, in that you have built an altar that you might rebel this
day against the Lord. |
16. “Thus all
the congregation of the LORD said: ‘What is this treachery that you have
worked against the Memra of the God of Israel, to turn this day from after
the worship of the LORD in your building for yourselves an altar for your
rebelling this day against the Memra of the LORD? |
|
17. Is the
iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not been cleansed until this day,
and there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord. |
17. Is it
small to us — the sin of Peor from which we have not cleansed ourselves unto this day,
and there was the plague in the congregation of the LORD, |
|
18. And you
will turn away this day from following the Lord? And it will be, since you
rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole
congregation of Israel. |
18. that you
should turn this day from after the worship of the LORD? And if you rebel
this day against the Memra of the LORD, tomorrow there will be anger upon all
the congregation of Israel. |
|
19. However,
if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass you over to the land of
the possession of the Lord, in which the Lord's tabernacle dwells, and take
possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us,
in your building an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. |
19. But if
the land of your inheritance is unclean, cross over to the land of the inheritance
of the people of the LORD where the tent of the LORD resides, and inherit
among us. And do not rebel against the Memra of the LORD and do not rebel
against us in your building for yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD
our God. |
|
20. Did not
Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell
on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his
iniquity." {S} |
20. Did not
Achan the son of Zerah commit deception in the ban, and there was anger upon
all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not die alone in his sin.’” {S} |
|
21. Then the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh
answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel. |
21. And the
sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered
and spoke with the heads of the clans of Israel: |
|
22. "God,
God, the Lord, God, God, the Lord, He knows, and Israel, he shall know; if it
be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, save us not this
day. |
22. “The
Mighty One, God, LORD; the Mighty One, God, LORD! Before Him it is revealed,
and Israel will know in the end; if in rebellion and if in deception he
deceived against the Memra of the LORD,
do not spare us this day; |
|
23. If we
have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if to offer
upon it burnt- offering or meal-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings upon
it, let the Lord Himself require it. |
23. for
building for ourselves an altar to turn from after the worship of the LORD;
and if to bring up holocausts upon it and cereal offerings and if to make
upon it offerings of holy things, may the LORD himself search it out. |
|
24. And if we
have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, 'In time to come,
your children might speak to our children, saying, 'What have you to do with
the Lord God of Israel? |
24. No, but
from fear of something we did this, saying: ‘Soon your sons will say to our
sons, saying: “There is no portion for you in the Memra of the LORD the God
of Israel. |
|
25. For the
Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben
and children of Gad; you have no part in the Lord.' So shall your children
make our children cease from fearing the Lord.' |
25. And the LORD
has given as the border between us and between you, sons of Reuben and Gad,
the Jordan. There is no portion for you in the Memra of the LORD.״ And your
sons will make our sons cease so as not to fear from before the LORD. |
|
26. Therefore,
we said, "Let us now prepare to build an altar for ourselves, not for
burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice. |
26. And we
said: ‘Now we will act to build for ourselves an altar not for holocausts and
not for the offering of holy things, |
|
27. But that
it may be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us,
that we might do the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings,
and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings, that your children
will not say to our children in time to come, 'You have no part in the Lord.'
|
27. for it is
a witness between us and between you and between our generations after us to
worship the worship of the LORD before Him with our holocausts and with our
sacrifices and with our offerings of holy things. And your sons will not in
the future say to our sons: ‘There is no portion for you in the Memra of the LORD.' |
|
28. Therefore,
we said, 'It will be when we shall say, "Behold the replica of the altar
of the Lord which our fathers made, not for burnt-offerings, nor for
sacrifices, but it is a witness between us and you. |
28. And we
said: “It will happen that if they will speak to us and to our generations in
the future, we will say: ‘See the copy of the altar of the LORD that our
fathers made — not for holocausts and not for the offering of holy things, for
it is a witness between us and between you.’ |
|
29. Far be it
from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn away this day from
following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for
meal-offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that
is before His tabernacle." {P} |
29. Far be it
from us to sin before Him, to rebel against the Memra of the LORD and turn
this day from after the worship of
the LORD, to build an altar for
holocausts, for cereal offerings, and for the offering of holy things besides
the altar of the LORD our God that is before His tent!” {P} |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary on Yehoshua 22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27,
29
7 And
also when Joshua sent them away i.e., the half tribe of Manasseh, as he had
sent away the children of Reuben and Gad.
8 divide
the spoil... with your brothers the children of Reuben and the children of
Gad. Some interpret this to mean: With your brothers who remained to guard the
cities with the women and children, and did not cross the Jordan with the
advance guard. They too received a share of the spoils.
12 to
go up to war against them For high places had been banned since the
establishment of the tabernacle at Shiloh.
19 if
the land of your possession is unclean For the Holy One, Blessed be He, did
not choose it to cause His presence to rest therein.
nor rebel against us Heb. וְאוֹתָנוּ, instead of וּבָנוּ
אַל
תִּמְרֹדוּ.
22 God,
God, the Lord God of all the divine creatures [angels], He is the Lord, who
knows that not in rebellion nor in transgression, etc. The repetition of the
Name of God [is for the purpose of proclaiming their belief in one God both] in
this world and in the world to come.
save as not They directed this statement
toward the Divine Presence.
23 Himself
require it He will punish us.
24 for
fear of this thing Because of דְּאָגַת, i.e., the fear of insulting words we have
done this, as the Scripture explains: Lest in time to come, your children say,
to insult our children when they go to sacrifice in the Tabernacle of Shiloh,
lest they say, ‘what have you to do with the Lord? Did he not place the Jordan
between us and you as a border?’ We feared this, and made [the altar]. Every דְּאָגָה in the Scriptures is an expression of fear,
e.g., “I fear the Jews (דֹּאֵג) of Zedekiah.”
28 but it is a witness
between us and you. that we have not withdrawn ourselves from the law of
the altar.
Verbal Tallies
By: Hem Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben
David
& HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba
bat Sarah
Bamidbar (Numbers) 32:1-42
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:13-18
Yehoshua (Joshua) 22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27, 29
Mk 13:21-23, Lk 17:22-37, Rm 7:21-25,
The
verbal tallies between the Torah and the Psalm:
Land
/ Earth / Country - ארץ, Strong’s number 0776.
The
verbal tallies between the Torah and the Ashlamata:
Children
- בן, Strong’s number 01121.
Reuben
- ראובן, Strong’s number 07205.
Gad
- גד, Strong’s number 01410.
Very
- מאד, Strong’s number 03966.
Much
- רב, Strong’s number 07227.
Cattle
- מקנה, Strong’s number 04735.
Land
/ Earth - ארץ, Strong’s number 0776.
Gilead
- גלעד, Strong’s number 01568.
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 32:1 Now the children
<01121> of Reuben <07205> and the children <01121> of Gad <01410> had
a very <03966>
great multitude
<07227> of cattle <04735>: and when they saw the land <0776> of
Jazer, and the land
<0776> of Gilead <01568>, that, behold, the place was a place
for cattle
<04735>;
Tehillim
(Psalms) 106:17 The earth
<0776> opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company
of Abiram.
Yehoshua
(Joshua) 22:8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much <07227> riches unto your
tents, and with very
<03966> much
<07227> cattle
<04735>, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with
iron, and with very
<03966> much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with
your brethren.
Yehoshua
(Joshua) 22:9 And the children
<01121> of Reuben <07205> and the children <01121> of Gad <01410> and
the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children <01121>
of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land <0776> of Canaan, to go unto the country <0776>
of Gilead <01568>,
to the land
<0776> of their possession, whereof they were possessed,
according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Hebrew:
|
Hebrew |
English |
Torah Seder Num 32:1-42 |
Psalms Ps
106:13-18 |
Ashlamatah Josh 22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27, 29 |
|
xa' |
brothers |
Num. 32:6 |
Jos. 22:8 |
|
|
zx;a' |
possessions |
Num. 32:30 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
hZ"xua] |
possessions |
Num. 32:5 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
rx;a; |
follow |
Num. 32:11 |
Jos. 22:23 |
|
|
by"a'
|
enemies |
Num. 32:21 |
Jos. 22:8 |
|
|
lae |
mighty one |
Ps. 106:14 |
Jos. 22:22 |
|
|
~ai |
if |
Num. 32:5 |
Jos. 22:22 |
|
|
rm;a' |
spoke, speak said |
Num. 32:2 |
Jos. 22:8 |
|
|
#r,a, |
land, earth, ground |
Num. 32:1 |
Ps. 106:17 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
rv,a] |
which, who |
Num. 32:4 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
aAB |
come, came, go, went |
Num. 32:2 |
Jos. 22:10 |
|
|
!Be |
sons |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
hn"B' |
building |
Num. 32:16 |
Jos. 22:10 |
|
|
dG"
|
Gad |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
d['l.GI |
Gilead |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
rb;D' |
says |
Num. 32:27 |
Jos. 22:21 |
|
|
rAD |
generation |
Num. 32:13 |
Jos. 22:27 |
|
|
%l;h' |
went, walk |
Num. 32:39 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
hNEhi |
indeed, behold |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:11 |
|
|
hz< |
this |
Num. 32:5 |
Jos. 22:22 |
|
|
ycix] |
half-tribe |
Num. 32:33 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
[d'y" |
sure, know |
Num. 32:23 |
Jos. 22:22 |
|
|
hwhy |
LORD |
Num. 32:4 |
Ps. 106:16 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
~Ay |
day |
Num. 32:10 |
Jos. 22:22 |
|
|
!Der>y" |
Jordan |
Num. 32:5 |
Jos. 22:10 |
|
|
laer'f.yI |
Israel |
Num. 32:4 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
yKi |
because |
Num. 32:19 |
Jos. 22:27 |
|
|
lKo |
entire, all, every, whole |
Num. 32:13 |
Jos. 22:12 |
|
|
daom. |
exceedingly, very |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:8 |
|
|
hm' |
why, what |
Num. 32:7 |
Jos. 22:24 |
|
|
!mi |
because |
Num. 32:17 |
Jos. 22:29 |
|
|
hV,n"m. |
Manasseh |
Num. 32:33 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
hn<q.mi |
livestock |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:8 |
|
|
hv,m |
Moses |
Num. 32:2 |
Ps. 106:16 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
!t;n"
|
give, given |
Num. 32:5 |
Ps. 106:15 |
|
|
rb,[e |
side |
Num. 32:19 |
Jos. 22:11 |
|
|
hd'[e |
congregation |
Num. 32:2 |
Ps. 106:17 |
Jos. 22:12 |
|
hl'[' |
went, gone |
Num. 32:9 |
Jos. 22:12 |
|
|
hP, |
mouth, promise |
Num. 32:24 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
~ynIP' |
before, face |
Num. 32:4 |
Jos. 22:27 |
|
|
ab'c' |
war |
Num. 32:27 |
Jos. 22:12 |
|
|
!beWar> |
Reuben |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
vaor |
heads |
Num. 32:28 |
Jos. 22:21 |
|
|
jb,ve |
half-tribe |
Num. 32:33 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
bWv |
turn, return |
Num. 32:15 |
Jos. 22:8 |
|
|
xl;v' |
sent |
Num. 32:8 |
Ps. 106:15 |
|
|
~v' |
there |
Num. 32:26 |
Jos. 22:10 |
|
|
![;n"K. |
Canaan |
Num. 32:30 |
Jos. 22:9 |
|
|
rB'd>mi |
wilderness |
Num. 32:13 |
Ps. 106:14 |
|
|
hn"[' |
answered |
Num. 32:31 |
Jos. 22:21 |
|
|
hf'[' |
did, do, make, done |
Num. 32:8 |
Jos. 22:23 |
Greek:
|
Greek |
English |
Torah Seder Num 32:1-42 |
Psalms Psa
106:13-18 |
Ashlamatah Josh 22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27, 29 |
Peshat Mk/Jude/Pet Mk 13:21-23 |
Remes 1 Luke Lk 17:22-37 |
Remes 2 Acts/Romans Rm 7:21-25 |
|
ἁμαρτία |
Sin/ Anti-Law |
Num 32:23 |
Rom. 7:23 |
||||
|
ἄνθρωπος |
man, men |
Num 32:11 |
Lk. 17:22 |
Rom. 7:22 |
|||
|
ἀποκρίνομαι |
answered |
Num. 32:31 |
Jos. 22:21 |
Lk. 17:37 |
|||
|
ἀπόλλυμι |
destroyed |
Num 32:39 |
Lk. 17:27 |
||||
|
βλέπω |
take heed, looking |
Mk. 13:23 |
Rom. 7:23 |
||||
|
γενεά |
generation |
Num. 32:13 |
Jos. 22:27 |
Lk. 17:25 |
|||
|
γινώσκω |
know, sure |
Num. 32:23 |
Jos. 22:22 |
||||
|
γυνή |
woman, wife |
Num 32:26 |
Lk. 17:32 |
||||
|
δίδωμι |
gave, give |
Num. 32:5 |
Ps. 106:15 |
||||
|
εἰσέρχομαι |
enter |
Num 32:9 |
Lk. 17:27 |
||||
|
ἐπιθυμέω |
desire |
Psa 106:14 |
Lk. 17:22 |
||||
|
ἔρχομαι |
come, came |
Jos 22:10 |
Lk. 17:22 |
||||
|
ἕτερος |
other |
Lk. 17:34 |
Rom. 7:23 |
||||
|
εὑρίσκω |
find, found |
Num 32:5 |
Rom. 7:21 |
||||
|
ἡμέρα |
day |
Num. 32:10 |
Jos. 22:22 |
Lk. 17:22 |
|||
|
θεός |
GOD |
Psa 106:14 |
Jos 22:22 |
Rom. 7:22 |
|||
|
ἰδού |
behold |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:11 |
Mk. 13:23 |
Lk. 17:23 |
||
|
κακός |
evil |
Num 32:11 |
Rom. 7:21 |
||||
|
κύριος |
LORD |
Num. 32:4 |
Ps. 106:16 |
Jos. 22:9 |
Lk. 17:37 |
Rom. 7:25 |
|
|
λέγω |
saying |
Num. 32:27 |
Jos. 22:21 |
Mk. 13:21 |
Lk. 17:22 |
||
|
οἰκία |
house |
Num 32:18 |
Lk. 17:31 |
||||
|
οἰκοδομέω |
built |
Num. 32:16 |
Jos. 22:10 |
Lk. 17:28 |
|||
|
ὁράω |
see |
Num 32:11 |
Lk. 17:22 |
||||
|
ὅς / ἥ / ὅ |
which, who |
Num. 32:4 |
Jos. 22:9 |
Lk. 17:31 |
|||
|
πᾶς |
every, all, whole, entire |
Num. 32:13 |
Jos. 22:12 |
Mk. 13:23 |
Lk. 17:27 |
||
|
ποιέω |
did, do, make |
Num. 32:8 |
Jos. 22:23 |
Mk. 13:22 |
Rom. 7:21 |
||
|
πῦρ |
fire |
Psa 106:18 |
Lk. 17:29 |
||||
|
ῥύομαι |
rescue |
Jos 22:22 |
Rom. 7:24 |
||||
|
σῶμα |
body |
Lk. 17:37 |
Rom. 7:24 |
||||
|
τίς |
what |
Jos 22:24 |
Mk. 13:21 |
||||
|
υἱός |
son |
Num. 32:1 |
Jos. 22:9 |
Lk. 17:22 |
|||
|
Χριστός |
Christ |
Mk. 13:21 |
Rom. 7:25 |
||||
|
ψυχή |
life |
Psa 106:15 |
Lk. 17:33 |
Nazarean Talmud
Sidra
of B’Midbar (Num.) “32:1 — 42”
“UMiq’neh Rav” “And cattle many”
By:
H. Em Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham &
H.
Em. Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
|
School of Hakham Shaul’s Tosefta Luqas (LK) Mishnah א:א |
School of Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Mordechai (Mk) Mishnah א:א |
|
And
he said to the Talmidim, “the Days are
coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the
Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they
will say to you, ‘Behold,
there!’ ‘Behold,
here!’ Do not leave your ordinary
occupation![13] For just as
the lightning shines forth, flashing from one place
under heavens to another place under heavens,
so the Son of Man will come on his day. But first it is necessary for him to suffer many things,
and to be rejected by this generation. And just as it was in the days of Noach, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man
— they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being
given in marriage, until the day Noach
entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of
Lot—they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were
selling, they were planting, they were building. But on the
day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heavens and destroyed them all.
It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.[14]
On that day,
whoever is on the housetop and his goods are in the house
must not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever seeks to preserve his
life (possessions) will lose them,
but whoever loses them will keep
it. I tell you that in
that night[15]
there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.
There will be two women grinding at
the same place; one will
be taken and the other will be left.” --- And they answered and said to him, “Where, Master?” So he said to them, “Where the dead body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.” |
And, if at the end time someone (with
authority) predicts[16]
saying Behold[17] Messiah is here or Behold Messiah is there. Do[18] not believe (trust) him. For
pseudo-messiahs and pseudo-prophets will rise up, giving signs[19] and
marvels to lead astray the elect (the Jews) if possible. But watch with discernment for I have foretold all these things. |
|
School of Hakham Shaul’s Remes Romans Mishnah א:א |
|
So, I have discovered a
principle[20]
that when I want to
do good, evil[21] is
present and lies waiting for me.[22]
For I delight
in the Torah of God in my Neshamah (inner being). But I see a
different principle working in my imagination[23] raising up against [24]
the Torah of my mind to take me captive[25]
to the principle of sin and death that
is in (works on) my imagination. But by keeping the virtuous
commands of God[26]
(i.e. the Mesorah) through Yeshua HaMashiach (teachings and
instruction of) our master, I am rescued from being a miserable man bound
by sin and death! So then, I myself am a courtier[27]
to the Torah of God with my Neshamah,[28]
even though my flesh wants to serve the principle of sin and death. |
Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah
Seder
|
Num
32:1-42 |
Ps
106:13-18 |
Josh
22:8-12, 21-24, 26-27, 29 |
Mk
13:21-23 |
Lk
17:22-37 |
Rm
7:21-25 |
Commentary
to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat
Many
people are constantly asking when Messiah will return. This question may be one
of the most asked in the world today.
Personally, we are not pre-occupied with those things. Many years ago,
we asked our mentors about those things. The reply was to live life as if you
could leave this planet at any time. Consequently, we have adopted the idea to
live life to the best of our ability in accordance with the motto, "Non, je ne regrette rien"! When everyone else was buying water
and food to sustain them for Y2K, we continued with the usual going to bed
knowing that everything was in G-d’s hands. This is NOT to criticize those who
possess such anxieties; we simply do not have those anxieties. This does not
mean there is no cause for concern. What it means is that we should be occupied
with the mission that G-d has given us to do and not entertain fables and
distractions.
We have translated ειπη
(eipē) as “predicts with
authority” based on Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament[29]
entry on ειπη.
The idea of authority is not only implicit in the Greek vocabulary it is
thematically implied, with the possibility of deceit. The voice of authority is
the only voice, which even reaches the potential of deceiving the Elect (Jews).
Because Jews have learned to think for themselves and ask questions in a
Socratic method as taught by the Mishnah and the Talmud, they will not be as
gullible as their Gentile counterparts. However, we must be ever wary of the
“authorities” who have their “insights” into the future. During the seventies
and eighties, many scholars sold the public on the fact that we would not live
to the nineties. Recent authors (so called authorities) have sold millions of
books on being “Left Behind.” These dimwitted works have only served to make
the authors rich and foster fear in the eyes of the gullible public. We could venture to say that it was not Jews
making those authors rich.
Pseudo-prophets
and messiahs have agendas. The agenda is not necessarily the deception of the
people or the Elect (Jews). But, like today’s politicians with their agendas
people are nothing more than cannon fodder and commodities to be exploited or
merchandised. Similarly, today’s pastors are careless with their congregations.
The congregation is nothing more than a pay-check. The genuine needs of the
people are not considered. If the Gentile populace would adopt the Jewish
worldview, they would not so easily be lead astray. The reasons for great alarm
are easily solved when we come to understand that the final redemption will
unfold just as the first (Exodus from Egypt) did.
Do not worry, preoccupy yourselves with Torah study! G-d is in control,
Baruch HaShem!
Commentary to Hakham
Shaul’s School of Remes
Textual analysis
The
textual order of our pericope is generally good throughout with the exception
of 24-25a. At this point, the word order is jumbled and needs some re-ordering,
this can be noticed and readily understood by the translation we have provided.
Likewise, the Authorized Version would seem to suggest that the Torah has no
ability to bring mental and spiritual peace. This would be in direct opposition
to what we learned in the last pericope. Regardless of one's connection to
Messiah, the only peace that we will be able to rest in is by understanding the
Torah and the Mesorah of the Master. Our translation is the only translation
that makes true sense.
Because
verses 24 and 25a of this pericope are juxtaposed, we must do some hermeneutic
exegesis. The whole of verse 24 is not in question. The "a" part of
the 25th verse needs to be read as the beginning of verse 24 as we have
re-ordered it.
Charis - χάρις or Dikaios δίκαιος?
Now
we are presented with some lexical problems. Which word was used by Hakham
Shaul in the opening of what is taken to be the first part of the 25a? While we
can certainly attest to the value of learning Greek, we also need to be well
armed with an armada of Hebrew and Mishnaic Hebrew grammars. The whole exercise
of revisiting the Greek texts is for the sake of restoring the Nazarean Codicil
to its original Mishnaic Hebrew. Because "Biblical materials… underwent semantic or morphological changes and
foreign words from Akkadian, Persian, Greek, Latin and especially Aramaic"[30] are used, those materials
associated with those texts adopted the same nuances of language. Here our focus is upon the tools that help do
forensics on the texts of the Nazarean Codicil.
Understanding
that the first word of 25a in Mishnaic Hebrew would most likely have been חֶסֶד - Chesed.
We have discussed χάρις last week however, in the present pericope
we need to look at its synonyms. It would appear that the most appropriate
Greek word to use is δίκαιος.
As such, we can see that δίκαιος
has at its core the idea of…
"Righteous,
observing divine laws
In
a wide sense, upright, righteous, a virtuous
keeping the commands of God."[31]
The
idea of χάρις
being used as is suggested by many scholars is not overbearingly difficult. The
translation might have read as "By taking delight in (Mesorah -
commandments) of G-d through Yeshua HaMashiach (teachings and
instruction of) our master, I am rescued from being a miserable man bound by
sin and death!" Both translations have great merit and are worth of
attention and study. Therefore, one can see how we have arrived at our
translation and comments.
Allegorical Interpretation:
The
general theme of B'Midbar 32 would seem to be the extraordinary amount of
livestock that the B’ne Yisrael came to possess and the trans-Jordan tribes and
the need to help in the war against the residents of Canaan. The war Hakham
Shaul wages in his head is in direct connection with the wars being waged in
B'Midbar 32ff. The Jewish mind, i.e. Neshamah is in constant battle with the
imaginative scenarios endlessly played out with ingenuity. Hakham Shaul's use
of several terms to denote the imagination is a worthwhile study.[32] We will not embark on that
study for the sake of time and space. The sub theme of war is resident in the
Remes of Hakham Shaul, albeit he allegorizes the "war" aspect. Hakham
Shaul's war is not a war with "flesh and blood" per se. His war is against
the war that often rages in the imagination. It is here that scenarios are
played out which can lead to sin (see how the imagination can play games in our
Ashlamata where ten tribes in the Land of Israel misunderstood the erecting of
an altar in the Trans-Jordan by the resident two tribes which almost started a
war between the tribes). The use of the Greek word στρατία -
stratia relates to the idea of strategy. Therefore, the war of the mind is a
strategy being played out in the mind. The imagination plays out its scenarios
and the "mind (Neshamah) uses the Torah as a weapon against these
strategies. The tools of the Neshamah are the mitzvoth and halakhot. When the
imagination leads to the idea of coveting, the Neshamah responds halakhically
with the "you will not covet," "you will not steal"
(kidnap) etc. This is what Joseph Soloveitchik calls the "Halakhic
Man." Hakham Shaul's idea is much the same. However, Soloveitchik is about
two millennia too late. Hakham Shaul uses halakhic strategies to defend himself
from sin. As we have learned last week, that which is "spiritual"
defends us against "evil." Moreover, being filled with the Torah
means to be "spiritual." Therefore, we can readily determine that we
must be full of the Torah in order to be spiritual. Thus, being full of the
Torah is the safeguard that keeps us from falling into the trap of
over-indulgence.
The
seven nations represent the passion to embark on activities that exceed the
norm. In other words, having physical desire is not sinful, as we have
discussed. The abnormal abuse of the "normal" can easily yield itself
to "sin." Thus, the tribes to be destroyed are those allegorical
aspects that represent abuse of normalcy. Interestingly, the Canaanite
allegorically represents the animal nature of man as well as “trafficking” and
abuse of man by men without scruples. And, again we see this as the animal
nature without restraint. It is the Torah that restrains the animal nature.
This is especially true of the 365 prohibitive mitzvoth. These mitzvoth
restrain the Yetser HaRa from things that are forbidden. Actually, the Torah
teaches us how to have a balance between the inordinate desires of the animal
nature and a healthy balanced life. This theme is readily attested to in both
Pesach and Rosh HaShanah.
The Rest of the Story
Perhaps
our heading should read "the real story." What strikes Hakham Shaul's
interest is the fact that the B'ne Yisrael have so abundantly blessed with
livestock that they are having trouble controlling them. Yet the tribes of
Reuben and Gad insist on taking trans-Jordan property. The Sages have discussed
the passages of our present Torah Seder giving its pros and cons. However, it
would seem that Hakham Shaul finds the theme for his allegory in the idea that
there is an overwhelming number of "livestock" to take care of. It
would also seem, on one hand that the two tribes of Reuben and Gad did not want
to cross the Jordan to fight. They wanted the quick fix per se. We realize that
the trans-Jordan land was to become part of Eretz Yisrael. This being said it
would appear that Hakham Shaul is relating his "warfare" to the
struggle between the Yetser HaRa and the desire for instant gratification.
Seforno[33] sees the attempt to remain
on the East of the Jordan as a refusal to help their brethren in the conquest
of Canaan. There is also a thought that there might be "fear" in the
two tribes to cross.[34] Our point here is not to
make any decisions in these affairs.
Hakham
Shaul though his scribe Hillel (aka Luke) in passing makes reference to this
struggle:
On that
day, whoever is on
the housetop and his goods are in
the house must not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever seeks to preserve his
life (possessions) will lose them, but whoever loses them will keep it.
The
point at hand is that there is a struggle to be resolved by the Torah, i.e.
Moshe. The land may have been good for "livestock" but it has great
allegorical connotations. Ya'aqob built his place of residence and then made
"booths" for his livestock. It is generally accepted that this is
allegorical language. "Ya'aqob made booths," suggests that he was
able to restrain and control (balance) his Yetser HaRa.[35]
Here we suggest that this is precisely what Hakham Shaul is trying to say. The
B’ne Yisrael gaining an over-abundance of livestock means that there is a great
struggle to keep them under control and properly cared for, not to mention the
struggle to remain spiritual when so much energies and time are needed to keep
wealth under control. Furthermore, the allegory can also be made that we are
equally responsible for the welfare of our brethren. And, that we cannot rest
until all of our brethren are safely accounted for. This may mean remaining in
Diaspora longer than we had hoped for. However, how can we rest when our
brethren are still scattered among the nations or being captive among the
nations? Ya'aqob's genius is vague if we fail to realize his allegorical
actions. Ya'aqob made a "fence"
around his physical desires. In so doing, Ya'aqob demonstrates the appropriate
way to deal with the Yetser HaRa. This has been attested to in the Nazarean
codicil in the recent pericopes.[36]
Some Questions to Ponder:
- From all the
readings for this Shabbat, which reading touched your heart and fired your
imagination?
- What part of the Torah Seder fired the heart and
imagination of the Psalmist for this week?
- What part of the Torah Seder fired the heart and
the imagination of the prophet this week?
- What part/s of the Torah Seder, Psalm, and the
prophets fired the heart and the imagination of Hakham Tsefet for this
week?
- After taking into consideration all the above
texts and our Torah Seder, what would you say is the general prophetic
message from the Scriptures for this coming week?
Blessing After Torah Study
Barúch
Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,
Ashér
Natán Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.
Barúch
Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!
Blessed
is Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,
Who has
given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.
Blessed
is Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
“Now
unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish
you without a blemish,
before
His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of
Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty,
both now and in all ages. Amen!”
Next Shabbat:
Shabbat “Eleh Mas’ei” – “These are the stages”
& Shabbat Mevar’chim HaChodesh Shebat
Proclamation of the New Moon of the Month of Shebat
(Evening Truesday 20th of January – Evening
Wedneday 21st of January, 2015)
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
אֵלֶּה
מַסְעֵי |
|
|
|
“Eleh Mas’ei” |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 33:1-4 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 34:1-3 |
|
“These are the stages” |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 33:5-9 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 34:4-6 |
|
“Estas
son las estancias” |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 33:10-39 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 34:7-9 |
|
B’Midbar (Num.)
33:1-56 B’Midbar (Num.) Num.
28:9-15 |
Reader 4 – B’Midbar 33:40-44 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Is. 11:16 – 12:6 +
14:1-2 |
Reader 5 – B’Midbar 33:45-49 |
|
|
Special: I Samuel
20:18,42 |
Reader 6 – B’Midbar 33:50-53 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 34:1-3 |
|
Psalm: 106:19-27 |
Reader 7 – B’Midbar 33:54-56 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 34:4-6 |
|
Maftir: B’Midbar 28:9-15 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 34:7-9 |
|
|
N.C.: Mordechai 13:24-31; Lk 21:25-33; Rom.
8:1-11 |
- Is. 11:16
– 12:6 + 14:1-2 I Samuel 20:18,42 |
|
Shabbat Shalom!
Hakham Dr.
Yosef ben Haggai
Rabbi Dr.
Hillel ben David
Rabbi Dr.
Eliyahu ben Abraham